


Anything but the refuge

by NovemberWings



Series: Anything but the refuge [1]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Beating, Child Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Medda adopts Jack, Miss Medda is a queen, Nightmares, One Shot, PTSD?, Strangling, Younger Jack, the refuge isn't nice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-05 14:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16369532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NovemberWings/pseuds/NovemberWings
Summary: When Jack was 14 Snyder took him to the refuge. For a year he was abused.At 15 Medda came and adopted Jack, saving him.Will she be his chance to feel safe again?





	Anything but the refuge

Jack didn’t want to look back. He never wanted to see that big, ugly building ever again. Even standing in its shadow made every part of Jack’s body shudder. Every part, that is, except his hand which was clutched tightly in the grip of Miss Medda Larkin who was his saviour, leading him away from his prison. Miss Medda had come in and adopted him, and even though Jack was scared it was better than the refuge.

Jack would always remember the night when he had been snatched by Snyder. He had been sleeping on the street, he had just been so tired he couldn’t make it to the lodgings, so he had just sat down and drifted off. He was only 14 and he barely knew anyone. He had been in a light sleep when he was suddenly jerked awake by a strong hand clenched around his upper arm. He was pulled to his feet, his shoulder lighting up with pain at the unnatural angle. He glanced up, tears already brimming his eyes which promptly fell when he saw who exactly had grabbed him. He shouted and tried to pull away, hurting his shoulder again.  
“Shut up, you little shit!” Snyder had hissed at him, but Jack didn’t listen. He kept pulling, and scratching at the hand weakly. Snyder growled before turning and back handing him, jarring his neck making him cry out again. “I swear to god!” Snyder hissed once more, and Jack had fell silently. He had stayed silent when he was dragged through the streets, and thrown in the back of a car. He had cried silently all the way to the refuge, not even crying out when he was thrown around when the car hit a pothole.

He would always remember how he was dragged from the boot of the car and through the gates that locked behind him sealing his fate for the next year; a fate of beatings, burnings, scarring, starving, crying silently into his pillow.

Every new kid at the refuge was beaten on the first night. He guessed it was to teach them to behave. Jack remembered how Snyder and three other men took their turn punching, kicking and stomping for what seemed like ages. He’d tried to fight back, but that only made them hit harder. In his attempt to get away, he had just wanted to get away, he had accidently kicked a man in the groin – making him double over in pain. The others had laughed at the man and the man needed his revenge. 

He had climbed on top of his bruised, tiny, trembling body and wrapped his fat hands around his throat. He had squeezed tightly, and all Jack could do was stare wide eyed at the man who he thought was going to kill him. He would never forget the moment when the darkness started to encroach on his vision and he thought he would never wake up again. Never see the sky again.

Every day for a year after that he always had a bruise on his throat. Whenever Snyder singled him out for punishment his beating would always end with him being strangled until he passed out. And every time he stared up wondering if this would be the time he wouldn’t wake up again. 

Now, a year later Miss Medda had walked in – looking like an angel and she had chosen Jack to save. To pull out of this hell. He was scared but nothing could be as bad as the refuge. Nothing.

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Miss Medda’s house wasn’t big, but it was big enough. A one floor house with two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom and a small kitchen. Jack was so tired he just wanted to pass out and he must have looked tired because Medda immediately showed him the guest bedroom, his bedroom Medda had insisted, and told him to go to sleep and worry about nothing. He didn’t feel safe, he doubted he would ever feel safe again, but he was too tired to care. He flopped onto the bed and let sleep take over him.

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He was back there again. He was lying in his bunk in the refuge. He had the covers pulled up to his nose and he was trying not to breath. His eyes flitted around in the dark. There wasn’t a single sound. Not a single boy was snoring, breathing, blinking.

Snyder was in the dark. He was waiting to pounce. He was waiting to kill. He felt panic grab his chest as the hairs of the back of his neck stood up. The next thing he knew a hand grabbed his arm and he let out a scream. 

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Jack shot up in bed, a cry tearing from his lips. He quickly clasped his hand over his mouth. He hadn’t cried out from a nightmare in months. He was in for it. He was going to be choked. Maybe this time he wouldn’t wake up. He looked around in the dark, waiting for Snyder to come charging in, but he wasn’t in a bunk bed. 

He was at Medda’s. Someone had tucked him under the blanket and taken off his shoes. He was confused. Had Medda done that? Before he had another moment to think the door to the room burst open and Medda stood in the doorway, the hallway light on behind her. He felt himself tearing up. Would she punish him for waking her? Would she beat him? It was like a bucket of ice had just been dumped over him. She was going to send him back for being such a nuisance. He had his opportunity to escape and he had just thrown it away over some stupid dream. He felt hot tears run down his flushed face as he stared wide eyed at Medda who was coming towards him. She would drag him back.  
“Jack, darling, what’s wrong?” She asked gently. It was a ploy. It must be a ploy.  
“Please!” The word shot from his lips as she sat on the edge on his bed. “Please. I’m sorry Miss Medda. It was a mistake. I swear…” his voice warbled, “it won’t happen again. It won’t happen again Miss Medda, I promise. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I woke you. It won’t happen again. Please, Miss Medda.” The words tumbled from his lips, his tears coming fast and heavy now.

“Alright, Jack. You’re alright.” She started shushing him as she shuffled closer to him on the bed. “I’m not going to hurt you, everything’s okay.” She slowly reached forward, making Jack flinch expecting the worst, but she continued and gently pulled him into a loose embrace. He trying to stop, but he couldn’t help himself from crying onto her shoulder. “No one’s going to hurt you.” She gently rubbed his back as he cried. They sat there for a while as Jack quietly cried, occasionally muttering more apologies which she shushed down. “You don’t need to apologise, Jack.” She kept saying, which made no sense. He’d woken her up, he should be sorry. He is sorry. After Jack had calmed down he pulled back, and she let him.

He sat up against the wall and looked into his lap.  
“I’m sorry, Miss Medda. This won’t happen again. I promise.”  
“You don’t have to apologise, Jack. It doesn’t matter if it does happen again. I won’t hurt you remember that.” That made Jack cringe. If she wouldn’t hurt him, the only punishment that remained would be…  
“Miss Medda please. Please don’t send me back. I’ll do anything, just please don’t send me back there. Please punish me, Miss Medda. Anything but the refuge.” He felt himself tearing up again as he watched his hands grip uselessly at the duvet that covered him. 

Suddenly, Medda gently took Jack’s chin, making him flinch at the proximity to his throat.  
“Jack. This is very important so please listen to me.” She spoke as she lifted his head up for him to look at her. “You need to hear this, Jack. I don’t care what you do, what you break, or however many times you wake me up I will not send you back. I won’t hurt you. I won’t punish you. And as long as you’re with me you will never see that nasty place again. I promise.” She looked at him for a moment before pulling him into another gentle hug, which this time he returned. He believed her.

Maybe one day he could feel truly safe. Maybe this would be the first day.

**Author's Note:**

> I've really wanted to write a Medda and Jack fic so I just decided why not. Then it turned out wayyyyy darker than I expected it too. Was it too much?  
> But I freaking love Medda so much, she's a goddamn queen and I love her. I'm thinking of maybe writing another little bit to this, moments of Jack living with Medda and healing. Not quite sure though. Would you be interested in that? I don't think they'd be as dark as this.  
> Also do you think this ended too quickly? Like it was a sudden ending? Like just DONE. Lemme know, if you do I may change the ending up a bit but as I am writing this at night, I am too tired to do that now.
> 
> As well this is the first thing that I've written for newsies that hasn't had any romance in and that was really fun to explore as well. 
> 
> Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!!! <3 xx


End file.
